Race for the NFC Wide-Open After NFL Week 3

We're only three weeks into the NFL season, and as it concerns the National Football Conference (or NFC for the uninitiated), everything you thought you knew is wrong.

You thought the New Orleans Saints, a chic, en vogue Super Bowl pick, would cruise through an opening schedule featuring three teams that combined for 13 wins last year.

You were wrong. The Saints are 1-2 and in sole position of third place in the NFC South.

You thought the Green Bay Packers, armed with arguably the finest quarterback on the planet, would be perched atop the NFC North, staring down at the pretenders.

You were wrong. The Packers are 1-2 and trail the 2-1 Detroit Lions—the team that suffocated them on Sunday—in the NFC North.

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

You thought the San Francisco 49ers—you know, the squad that's made three consecutive trips to the NFC Championship Game—would rank among the very best teams in the NFL, much less the NFC.

You were wrong. The 49ers are 1-2 and tied for last place in the NFC West.

You thought the Dallas Cowboys, set to trot out perhaps the worst defense in the history of the NFL, would embarrass themselves right out of the gate.

You were wrong. The Cowboys are 2-1 and playing with confidence.

And, most of all, you thought the NFC would be fairly easy to predict, especially compared to what was perceived to be a wide-open AFC.

You were wrong.

We were all wrong.

Through three weeks, the race for the NFC is wide-open.

And anyone that tells you they know which team will represent the conference in Super Bowl XLIX is lying.

The (Perceived) Contenders

Before the season, it was widely expected that the Seattle Seahawks, Saints, Packers and 49ers would represent the power-four teams in the NFC.

Through three weeks, only the Seahawks (2-1) possess a winning record.

The Saints have been a major disappointment. Losing on the road in Atlanta in Week 1 was one thing, but dropping a road decision in Cleveland in Week 2 was entirely another.

Even though coach Sean Payton's club got back on track this past Sunday against Minnesota, the 20-9 finish wasn't exactly a convincing one, especially considering Vikings rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater saw his first NFL action and played the majority of the game.

As for the Packers, can someone please put out an all-points bulletin for the Green Bay offense? Seriously: What the heck is going on? Is the cheese in Green Bay moldy? Is there something funky in the Wisco Disco beer?

We aren't accustomed to seeing an Aaron Rodgers-led unit struggle like this.

Coach Mike McCarthy's offense has been stagnant. Running back Eddie Lacy has been unable to get going (113 rushing yards in three games), while the offensive line has been brutal, allowing nine sacks and causing Rodgers to run for his life on nearly every other passing play.

The 49ers, whom many considered a real threat to break through and win the Super Bowl, look like a middling squad incapable of competing with the big boys. Only a Week 1 win at self-destructing Dallas saved them from a 0-3 mark.

Right now, San Francisco does not have the look and feel of a playoff team.

One club that has (sort of) lived up to preseason expectations is the 3-0 Philadelphia Eagles, who are in sole possession of first place in the NFC East. But it's worth noting that the Eagles are the first team in NFL history to start 3-0 despite trailing by double digits in each contest. So it's not like they've been winning in dominant fashion.

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller provided an eye-opening stat comparing the 2013 season to the 2014 season thus far:

Even the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks have shown a few cracks in their armor. They were physically manhandled in a Week 2 loss at San Diego before nearly yakking away their Super Bowl rematch with the Broncos this past Sunday. The Seahawks are 2-1 and in good shape, but they haven't yet been the truly dominant club that many expected them to be in their quest for a repeat.

Then there are the Chicago Bears, a team that many considered a playoff contender, if not a real threat to usurp Green Bay's NFC North throne. The Bears dropped a Week 1 home stunner to Buffalo before rebounding last week in San Francisco, but it should surprise no one if they lose on the road to the New York Jets on Monday night and fall to 1-2.

Out of this group, only the Seahawks look like a team that could advance to the Super Bowl. It might still be September, but the early returns on the other "contenders" have not been favorable.

The (Perceived) Pretenders

Outside of the Eagles, there is one remaining unbeaten team in the NFC—the 3-0 Arizona Cardinals.

Raise your hand if you had that one predicted. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Even Nostradamus would have laughed off that notion. NFL Philosophy highlighted the Chargers' early-season performance and NFC West standing:

The Cardinals have already beaten two 2013 playoff teams (the Chargers and 49ers) and dispatched the New York Giants on the road with a backup quarterback. Drew Stanton has started the last two games in relief of injured signal-caller Carson Palmer and piloted the club to victory on the strength of a fantastic receiving corps and swarming defense.

Right now, Arizona looks better than every team in the conference except Seattle. And remember: Since the start of the 2012 season, the Cardinals are the only team that has gone into Seattle and knocked off the Seahawks.

The Cardinals look like a legitimate Super Bowl contender right now.

The Detroit Lions, longtime NFC North doormats, dispatched the Packers this past Sunday to move to 2-1. It was an impressive defensive showing that lends fuel to the fire of their playoff dreams. If quarterback Matthew Stafford doesn't turn the ball over, the Lions could easily find themselves in the postseason.

The NFC East was (rightfully) destroyed in the first two weeks, but the division bounced back in a major way in Week 3.

The Giants got off the schneid with a critical home victory over the Houston Texans. Quarterback Eli Manning played well for the second consecutive week, and it looks like new coordinator Ben McAdoo's offense is finally starting to click. Running back Rashad Jennings looked like Rodney Hampton, and the pass rush pressured Texans quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick throughout.

Jay Gruden's Washington Redskins might be 1-2, but they appear to be a very dangerous outfit after nearly upsetting the Eagles in Philadelphia. New starting quarterback Kirk Cousins was phenomenal (427 yards, three TDs), and the defense has been better than expected. Don't sleep on the Redskins as a potential playoff squad.

NJ.com's Joe Giglio shared his opinion about the NFC East:

And how 'bout them Cowboys?

Dallas beat the St. Louis Rams in stunning fashion, coming back from a 21-point deficit (tying the mark for the biggest deficit overcome in franchise history) to claim a 34-31 victory. The Cowboys, considered to be one of the worst teams in the NFL, are now 2-1 and could be 3-0 if quarterback Tony Romo had played better in Week 1 against San Francisco.

This isn't to mention the 2-1 Atlanta Falcons and 2-1 Carolina Panthers, who are currently tied for first place atop the NFC South.

One could make a realistic argument that out of the 16 NFC teams, 13 have a realistic shot at qualifying for the playoffs (apologies to fans of the Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Rams).

If that doesn't scream parity, what does?

The NFC Is Wide-Open

It's probably safe to say that the Seahawks are a lock for the postseason. But outside of the defending champions from the Pacific Northwest, no other NFC squad can claim that status.

The Cardinals have looked great, but would it surprise anyone if they missed the playoffs? And conversely, would it shock anyone if the 49ers rebounded to qualify for their fourth consecutive postseason?

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

The Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers look the part of serious challengers to the NFC South crown, while the Saints are looming at 1-2.

The Packers desperately need to put it together on offense, while the Chicago Bears could easily fall to 1-2 after this Monday night.

The Eagles are 3-0, but the rest of the NFC East has been better than expected.

Coming into the year, we all thought we had the NFC figured out.

We were all wrong.

Buckle up, football fans.

Over the next four months, it's going to be a bumpy ride in the wide-open NFC.